BRENTWOOD — A spark from welding equipment is the likely cause of a fire reported Sunday night in the basement of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department, a fire official said.

The fire broke out shortly before 8 p.m. and was quickly knocked down by sprinklers.

.Brentwood Fire Chief Kevin Lemoine said the basement had to be ventilated due to smoke.

He said a maintenance worker was welding in the basement at the time of the fire. The worker left the area for a short time and then returned and discovered the fire in the building, which is connected to the Rockingham County House of Corrections...The sprinkler system activated and extinguished the fire.

Lemoine said there was no fire damage to the building.

Rockingham County Sheriff Michael Downing said no one was injured and that the fire did not disrupt the operation of the sheriff’s department or the county dispatch center upstairs...Firefighters from Brentwood, Epping and Exeter responded. They cleared the scene by 9 p.m.